What’s your background?
I was born and raised in Canada. Growing up I played hockey, took up competitive martial art and was on the University of Ottawa rowing team. I studied Chemistry in both my undergraduate and graduate studies.
Why science?
My initial eureka moment for science came when I watched the movie Outbreak. I wanted to wear the containment suits and work the front lines. My passion for science continued when I constructed the Krebs cycle using foam balls and popsicle sticks and accounted for stereochemistry, in grade 11!
Do you have any advice for someone interested in a career in research?
Re-read research papers or reviews months into a new research project. You’ll realize how little you understood the topic upon first read (even though you think you did!) and may answer many of your current questions.
What do you like to do for leisure?
I play hockey and I enjoy HIIT workouts. I have a strong passion for water sports, as I have dragon boated competitively for over a decade and am currently a coach. Most of all, I have a passion to seek out the best restaurant burgers in the city!
Any song or book recommendations?
Book: Monk of Mokha. I am a coffee lover and I drink it black, exclusively.
If someone were to make a movie about your life, what would the title be?
Old School (I still use a blackberry)